Sakura Blossoms
by Chiharu-angel
Summary: Ulquiorra has returned to the world of the living or so he thinks. With help from a retired Shinigami Captain of the Royal Guard, Ulquiorra learns what it means to live. AU Oneshot Ulquiorra/OC


_Where am I? Am I dead? I can't see anything, it's so dark. Wait, what is that pleasant smell? It smells so pure and spicy, almost like the dianthus'* in the human world._

Slowly, inch by inch, pale eyelids opened to reveal a wood beamed ceiling. The pale figure on the futon turned his curiously faded, tear-marked face slowly to where the spicy smell seemed to permiate. He came in contact with a sleeping beauty, so to speak, slumped next to his bed against the wall. Beautiful gold locks of wavy hair cradled her soft, sun-kissed face as a mother would cradle a new born child. His eyes slid slowly down her figure and noticed she appeared to be young woman, maybe no more than twenty one years of age, she wore a soft blue yukata with a darker blue sash tied around the middle. Her hands were resting in her lap and next to her were some bandages and little bundles of medicinal herbs.  
>'Am I in the human world?'<br>Ulquiorra turned his gaze slugishly towards a window and noticed it was light outside.  
><em>My body broke down after the substitute soul reaper overwhelmed my rapid regeneration how is it I am alive and just where did I end up?<em> Turning his gaze away from the window, he once again focused on the woman who was fast asleep next to him on the wall. Slowly, Ulquiorra moved his body into an upright position, letting the bed covers slide off his upper body. A curious sensation of emptiness filled his lower abdomen, then almost immedietly afterwords a loud growling erupted. It was so loud, that it seemed to startle the sleeping woman awake.

Miyako Hara was started awake by the loudest growling noise she had heard in a while. Rapidly blinking her eyes, she focused on the hunched figure who was grabbing his stomach with a curious expression.  
><em>I guess he's awake and hungry, typical man. <em>She thought bemusidly. Miyako pushed herself up and off the wall, elliciting the strangers attention. She ignored his stares and went about picking up all the medical supplies she had used to patch up the worst of his wounds. Miyako quietly left the room and went to the kitchen of her generous home apartment in the 56 district of the North Rukongai. While it was rather small for a family of five, it was quiet large for one woman to be staying in. Many of the other souls staying in this district often wondered if Miyako was some type of royalty or shinigami. While most were only half right, Miyako never spoke of her past. One of the reasons being she was forbidden and another being she didn't much care to delve into dark places- unlike what her name suggested.  
>A few minutes later Miyako had finished making her and the black-haired man's breakfast; the meal consisted of steamed rice, miso soup, Tamagoyaki and a side of grilled fish she had gotten fresh yesterday from the market. She quietly filled up a serving tray with the man's portion of food as well as a white tea pot filled with green tea and a small, matching tea cup. She picked up the tray and gracefully brought it down the hallway to the room that the man was staying in.<p>

When the woman left the room, Ulquiorra took in the damage his body was in. While he had bandages cover sixty percent of his body, he didn't feel particularly severely damaged. However, what did perplex him was that his hollow mask was not present(of which he was fairily certain was not removable) and he did not have a hole in his chest(which he knew for certain was irremovable) But, what was even stranger was that he could still feel the presence of his hollow and he could definetely sense reitsu- especially the powerful one being emitted from the woman.  
><em>The woman must be a leuitenat or a captain of the soul society.<em> he thought darkly. Just as he finished his thought, the said woman walked in-with a tray full of food no less.  
>"Here you go, I figured you would probably be hungry. It has been two days since I found you on the streets uncounciouss and I'm not sure how long it's been since you ate prior to that. I'll leave you to your food. Call if you need anything." she said softly as she set the tray down next to him by the futon. "Where am I woman?" Ulquiorra asked tonelessly. The woman stopped before she went out the door.<br>"Your in District 56 of the North Rukongai of the Soul Society. Are you a newly arrived soul?" she asked sincerely.  
>"I should not be here." Ulquiorra simply stated. That got the woman's complete attention, her face changed from sincere and open, to guarded and confused.<br>"Why do you say this?" she asked seriously.  
>"Tell me, can a willingly turned hollow even be redeemed after they were forcefully changed into an arrancar by an experiment?" he asked blandly. The woman blinked in surprise.<br>"You remember your past life?"  
>"It's not a past life when I'm sure it happened recently in the past. I remember nothing of my human life if that's what you ask. Where is Sousuke, Aizen?" he demanded.<br>"Aizen? Then you must have been a part of the espada he created. Aizen was defeated by the substitue soul reaper Kurosaki, Ichigo about a month or so ago." she stated.  
>"I see." There was a brief silence.<br>"You still did not answer my first question woman." "Truthfully, I am not certain. Perhaps the person who destroyed your body somehow purified you or maybe a question that has plagued you very soul was finally answered before you were destroyed. There are many reasons why a soul comes to the soul society, therefore I cannot properly answer your question, only you know the answer."  
>she explained as she watched hi9s face in vain for some type of reaction.<br>Ulquiorra was silent as he contemplated what the woman said, still unsure as to why he was here. Slowly though, he began to remember the conversation he had with a certain ginger-haired woman who was his prisoner in Hueco Mundo moments before his death.

**Flashback**

"Are you scared of me woman?" he asked with a slowly dissintegrating outsretched hand, trying to scare her with his imminent death.  
>Her expression softened as she too stretched out a small, pale hand towards his.<br>"No, I'm not afraid." Ulquiorra was in disbelief, the only show of this emotion being a twitch on his hand.  
>'How could this woman not be afraid. It's only logical that death be a scary sight and she should even show some sense of satisfaction that I am dying. Yet this human woman shows nothing but saddness and sincere regret. What does she have to regret?' he thought curiously.<br>Slowly though, a warm feeling-unfamiliar to the emotionless, cold hollow- began to course through his body. He soon began to realize what it was he was feeling.  
>"I see. So this is the heart." Ulquiorra said softly as he looked at both of their outstretched hands. When the woman touches his hand, for a breif second he could feel the warmth eminate from it, then his hand dissolved, his body following slowly. when the woman began to cry, he looked away and knew no more.<p>

**End Flashback**

"What is your name, if I may ask?" Miyako asked when she saw his eyes become focused again.  
>"Ulquiorra Cifer." "What was your former rank in Aizen's army?"<br>"The Cuatro Espada."  
>"Why are you so free in giving this information?"<br>"I have no further use in Aizen's dissolved army, therefore I see no reason in witholding information." he reasoned as he picked up the bowl of rice and began to eat it realizing it was his stomach that demanded food.  
>"Hmm, interesting. Well, let me know if you need anything. I'm going to go eat and change." Miyako said as she turned around, heading through the door to the kitchen.<br>"What is your name woman?" the former espada asked after he set down the empty bowl of rice.  
>"Hara, Miyako." she said with a smile and turned around closing the door.<p>

**Two Months later**

"Ulquiorra! What do you want for dinner?" Miyako yelled out the back from the porch towards the training area behind Miyako's house.  
>Hearing no response, Miyako sighed. She walked out onto the wood floor and put on her sandles. Walking softly through the grass, Miyako breathed in the fresh air as she searched for her missing roommate. She walked around the left side of the house and found him rested against one of the sakura trees in her yard. His face was the most relaxed she'd seen since he started staying here. Though she had no doubt he had figured out she was of some rank in the Gotei 13, he still did not seem to mind or care about her past. He really never asked any questions about it, more than anything, he seemed to ask questions about humans and the workings of emotions.<br>He seemed to think that if he could not see it or if it was in no way tangible, it did not exist. It was rather funny to try to explain to him that he was already experiencing an emotion when he asked questions. Curiosity. When she walked right up to his sleeping form, she was surprised that he had yet to move or signify he was awake. Miyako knelt down and reached out to shake his shoulder awake. However, right before she did she felt a shift in his spiritual pressure and almost insinctually, grabbed his hand, which had unconciously lashed out to grasp her neck.  
>"Now now, that's not very nice Ulquiorra. I was just asking you what you would like for dinner since you've been training out here all day." Miyako said with a chuckle as she let go of his hand.<p>

Grunting softly, Ulquiorra opened his eyes and was unprepared for Miyako's close proximity. Had Ulquiorra still not been confused about human emotions, he would have more than likely been flustered.  
>"Woman, your too close. Do you not know the meaning of personal space?" he asked monotonously.<br>"Well I was just coming to wake you up. Geez, you're cranky when you wake up." Miyako said as she stood up and turned to go back into the house with Ulquiorra following silently.  
>"You never told me what you wanted for dinner." "I always say the same thing woman, so why do you keep asking?"<br>"Well I figured that eventually you'd actually tell me what you want for once, so then I would know what food you favor."  
>After a quiet dinner, the two got up and started about cleaning up the mess and dishes. It seemed routine that Miyako would wash the dishes and Ulquiorra would dry.<br>However, that routine was broken when Miyako sensed a familiar reitsu outside.  
>"Ulquiorra, go to your room please and don't come out until I say so." she said in a serious tone.<br>"I do not take orders from you woman. Let them come inside, I have no reason to fear trash." he said as he walked into the lounge area of the house.  
>"You idiot. They are a part of soul society. They could most likely know who you are." she whispered furiously.<br>"Former Captain Hara, Miyako! Permission to enter." a loud, scratchy voice asked.  
>"Yes Head Captain Yamamoto, please enter." Miyako called back out.<br>The large burly old man came into the house almost like he owned the place. Although he was curtious enough to take off his sandles at the front entrance.  
>"Captain-" Yamamoto started but was cut off by Miyako.<br>"You know I'm not a captain anymore Sir."  
>"Yes, well I was hoping you would come back for the sake of all the captains we have lost from the winter war. We are having trouble finding proper captains to take over for about four divisions. Who is your guest?" Captain Yamamoto asked as they walked into the same room as Ulquiorra.<br>"He's a new soul I found on the streets. His name is Ulquiorra Cifer." Miyako stated nervously.  
>"Hmm, were you not a former soldier in Aizen's army?" Captain Yamaoto asked with a angry glint in his eyes.<br>"I was, but I am no longer a hollow if that is what your getting at." Ulquiorra said as he looked up at the Head Captain with an unflinching gaze.  
>"You still seem to carry traces of Hollow reitsu." Yamamoto pointed out.<br>_He still has hollow-like qualities that's for sure. _Miyako thought tensely

"It's not that easy to destroy powers you have had for centuries, am I right Genryusai Yamamoto, Head Captain of the Gotei 13?" Ulquiorra asked tauntingly.  
>"You were the fourth espada, am I correct?" Yamamoto asked, ignoring his taunt.<br>"Yes, I was." Ulquiorra said.  
>"Good, then you will go to the academy and learn how to use your newly developed shinigami abilities." Yamamoto stated.<br>"Wait..what?" Miyako asked with a very confused face. Ulquiorra mearly blinked and frowned quite noticably.  
>"I will leave a space open for him when he graduates, he will become captain in place of Aizen's former division." "How do you know I won't simply defect like my creator did?" Ulquiorra asked tonelessly.<br>"Your smarter than that, besides don't you think it's better than wasting away here simply training behind Ms. Hara's house?" Yamamoto asked pointedly.  
>"You've been watching us for quite some time haven't you?" Miyako asked wrily.<br>"Nothing get's past these old eyes, you should know that better than anyone." Yamamoto stated plainly.  
>"Which division am I to replace?" Miyako asked tiredly.<br>"I knew you'd come around if I volunteered your friend here. You will be placed as Captain of the 3rd Division-replacing Ichimaru, Gin." Yamamoto said as he turned to leave.  
>Miyako sighed quite loudly.<br>"And when do we start Captain?"

"Tomorrow sounds good to me." Yamamoto said as he walked quietly out the door and vanished.

**Several Decades Later**

"You seem to like these trees Captain." Miyako said as she walked up to sit next to the green-eyed, black haired man who was sitting under the blooming Sakura tree.  
>He was dressed in white-very similar to what he used to wear when he served under Aizen and at his side was his ever present zanpakto<br>Murcielago. "It's relaxing. Better than having to deal with a bunch of paper work and whining shinigami." Ulquiorra stated with his usual aloofness.  
>"Haha, you've been around Captain Kyoraku too much." Miyako said while laughing softly. The two were quiet for some time as they simply enjoyed eachothers company.<br>"Hey, you know what I just noticed? Your tear marks are almost completely gone." Miyako said excitedly as she reached out to trace the barely visible lines.  
>Ulquiorra was silent as she did so, seemingly enjoying her simple touch. "Perhaps it is because I have discovered something I have been without for a long time. I want to thank you Miyako, I never thought I would feel again but you seemed to help a great deal. I am in your debt." Ulquiorra said with a relaxed expression.<br>"Well then, how 'bout I collect that debt. Let's go out for a nice date, you get to pick the place to eat." Miyako said enthusiastically.  
>"Woman, how many times to I have to tell you, I have no food preferences." he said with a bland look.<br>"Oh come on, one day I'll figure out what you like." Miyako said with a determined pout.  
>"I hope you do woman." Ulquiorra said quietly but Miyako was already up and walking away gesturing for him to follow.<p>

XD the end!

A/N- For all my trusty reviewers who would probably love for me to update Gohan's Furry Problem don't worry I've had a major writer block. I had all these other story ideas that i needed to get out of my head(including this one) I'm halfway done with the next chapter. So sit tight and don't fret! :) I love ya'll and thanks for your patience. ;D

~ Chiharu-angel

*Dianthus- also called Pinks(where the color pink originated) the literal greek translation of the name being- _dios_ ("god") and _anthos_ ("flower").


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